This invention relates to a swivel bracket holding mechanism for a marine propulsion device and more particularly to an improved, simplified tilt locking mechanism for an outboard drive.
Outboard drives such as an outboard motor or the outboard drive portion of an inboard-outboard drive are mounted for tiling movement about a generally horizontally extending tilt axis. The arrangement is such that the outboard drive may be tilted up so that its lower unit will be positioned out of the water. Some form of tilt locking mechanism is generally employed for locking the outboard drive in its tilted up position. The simplest of these tilt locking mechanisms require the operator to lift the outboard drive with one hand and, at the same time, operate the locking mechanism with his other hand so as to lock the outboard drive in its tilted up position. Such arrangements are obviously cumbersome, particularly when the outboard drive is heavy since the operator would prefer to be able to use both hands to lift the outboard drive.
Alternatively, arrangements have been provided in which the tilt locking mechanism may be prepositioned so that it will engage the outboard drive and lock it up in the tilted up position in response to the positioning of the motor in its tilted up position. Since the outboard drive also normally incorporates a reverse locking mechanism for holding the outboard drive against tilting up under reverse thrust, this reverse locking mechanism must also be released to permit the motor to be tilted up. Therefore, there are in some prior art arrangements devices that require the manipulation of several operating handles so as to permit an outboard drive to be tilted up and retained in its tilted up position. Although devices have been proposed for interrelating the tilt locking mechanism with the reverse lock, such devices have been very cumbersome, have required considerable linkage and also are at times awkward to operate.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved and simplified tilt locking mechanism.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a tilt locking mechanism that is interrelated with the reverse lock so as to provide a simple and yet highly effective arrangement.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a reverse lock and tilt locking mechanism for an outboard drive that may be operated by a single handle and utilizing a minimum of linkage and interconnecting elements.